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Topic Review (Newest First)

03-01-2010 06:12 PM

CaptainForce

We moved aboard five years before we had children; raised our two kids aboard until they left for college; and now have lived aboard for the last 13 years as "empty-nesters". I would only add that it would be wise to keep the spaces on your boat adaptable for general use. By this I mean, if you have four individualized spaces on your boat; then, it would be wise to have the ability to sleep, watch tv, read, use a computer, eat, do homework, or whatever activiy in any of those spaces. By this, I don't necessarily mean the redundancy of devices, i.e. computers or TV's, but the flexibility of use for the space. We also felt that our children did best having their own private space, despite how small. As a result of this our daughter, when moving into the college dorm room, had to hang sheets around her bed in order to sleep in the huge cavernous space! 'take care and joy, Aythya crew

03-01-2010 03:21 PM

QuickMick

While there are always many diversions (and chores/projects) aboard, I did recently purchase a HD antenne for my laptop... it is nice to occasionally see the news, watch some olympics etc.. obviously not a neccessity but for 50 bucks worth it... heck and i dont even have kids! lol.

i also opted for microwave inside, propane grill in the cockpit... not to say gimballed stoves arent safe, but im pretty sure fiberglass is flammable and they just make me a bit edgy for some reason.

best of luck, Quinn

03-01-2010 07:00 AM

Boondoggle30

I readagood article in Good Old Boat mag which highlighted ventalation. I will be adding a solar vent on the head and galley this spring. Are they hardto install? I'm handy but cuttng into cabin makes me nervous.
That and some much needed running maint on engine...

Pocket warmers, beanies, a cabin heater, thick socks and beanies are good things to have. Even in summer.

Another thing that makes a boat comfortable is a cozy cabin. Dedicate some places to storage and the rest of the boat becomes much more comfortable.

Well you must live somewhere much colder than I... I don't even consider wearing a beanie in winter.

Along that train of thought though, if you live in a warmer climate, good ventilation is important so the cabin is bearable. Don't rely just on hatches for ventilation, cause when you get a squall come over is when you need the ventilation most and is also when you'll want the hatch closed to stay dry. I used these Nylon Dorade Vent, and already had one of these Solar Exhaust Vent - White. I removed these Mushroom Vent which I found provided no ventilation at all.

Therma-Rest inflatable mattress pads. Not only do they blow up to form a wonderful comfort layer, they can be deflated and rolled tightly to create a fairly small cube. There are opportunities for "factory seconds" to save $$ and also some off-brand versions, so it's not necessary that these be a huge expense.

More good reading Thanks.
I have considered foam rolls to bulk up the existing padding but when not in use they take up too mch space. Will have to look at more options.

Memory foam mattress toppers work wonders for not too much cost. We got one cheap at Walmart and cut it to size. In hind sight I should have went for a slightly higher quality one, but this one has been good. Just be sure it will be big enough for the v-birth. We cut it in two sections, one for each side which made better use of the square size. We leave this on all the time as it is not excessively thick.

I have seen blogs of people who take a real mattress and cut it up, rewiring the springs and such. Looks like a great thing to do and the best option if you have the time, money, and vertical space above the bunks, none of which I have had yet. I might consider it in the future as we are looking at a long trip, but the vertical space might not allow for it. The memory foam has done wonders so far.

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